1. Field
Methods and apparatuses consistent with the exemplary embodiments relate to a backlight unit which provides light to a display panel so that an image is displayed on the display panel, and a display apparatus having the same, and more particularly, to a backlight unit with an improved support structure, and a display apparatus having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Display apparatuses such as televisions (TVs), monitors and the like may display broadcasting signals or image data of various formats using a display panel provided to display an image thereon. Examples of such a display panel include a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a plasma display panel (PDP) and other display panels known in the art which have been employed for various kinds of display apparatuses. In the case where a display apparatus employs a display panel such as the LCD panel which cannot generate light by itself, the apparatus is equipped with a backlight unit used to provide light to the panel.
Such a backlight unit of the display apparatus homogenizes light emitted from a light source implemented by a cold cathode fluorescent lamp or a light emitting diode device through a light guide plate and outputs the homogenized light to the display panel. Depending on an arrangement position of a light source relative to a light guide plate, the backlight unit may be divided into a direct type in which the light source is disposed in parallel to the back of the light guide plate and an edge type in which the light source is disposed at a lateral side of the light guide plate.
However, for such a related art display apparatus, since a light transmission pattern has to be processed to secure light homogeneity in the light guide plate, a design of the light guide plate is complicated and it is difficult to achieve lightness of the apparatus due to weight of the light guide plate. In addition, since structures for supporting various components of the display panel and the backlight unit are individually provided, there may arise a problem related to misalignment due to a tolerance in assembly and heat dissipation.